Display device



Sept 25, 1962 c. H. coATEs 3,055,510

DISPLAY DEVICE:

Filed Feb. 29, 19Go CECIL H. OOATES IN V EN TOR.

BY Ms??? e cla,

3,055,51@ Patented Sept. 25, 1962 hice 3,055,510 DISPLAY DEVICE Cecil H. Coates, Bi-Lo Market, Hastings, Ncbr. Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. N0. 11,796 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-164) This invention relates to rotatable displays and more particularly it is an objective to provide ways to make these more economical for wider usage.

A further object is to provide a display the carrier disc portion of which faces a user while rotating for better use of its face for advertising.

Yet other objects are to provide a display the container portions of which are accessible from the end opposite a carrier disc, and which are of more economical construction.

A further object is to provide a display device especially adapted for showing merchandise contained in small or light packages, such as garden seed and the like, and in a manner preventing crushing or breaking of the packages during selection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display device having a rotatable merchandise carrier having a plurality of extended pegs or pins upon which the merchandise is supported and from which the merchandise is easily removed.

Still another object is to provide a display device of light construction whereby it is easily moved from one place to another for relocation or replenishing merchandise.

Another object is to provide a merchandise display device the rotating merchandise carrier of which is normally vertically disposed whereby all merchandise supported thereon is in full view of the customer to `facilitate selection.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a display device as described of simple and economical construction and one which is simple and eiicient in operation.

A further object is to provide containers pivotally supported on the merchandise carrier for holding packages of small size such as garden seed and the like.y

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following detailed description thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the display device of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a Vertical cross-sectional View thereof taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the merchandise holders.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary ield of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specifica-tion, the saine reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout and in which the numeral refers to the invention in its entirety, and numeral 12 indicates a horizontally disposed base member, numeral 14 a support having an upright portion 16, a foot por-tion 18 on the lower end of the upright portion extending at a right angle thereto.

The support is fixed to the base member 12 by means of screws 20.

The upper end portion of the support is bent back upon itself in a U-shape whereby the terminal end is spaced from the upright portion.

A wheel-shaped merchandise carrier, generally indicated by the numeral 24 is disposed adjacent to and in a plane parallel to the support 14.

The carrier has a hub 26, an annular rim 28 and a plurality of spokes 30 connecting the rim 28 to the hub 26.

The carrier 24 is pivotally secured to the support 14 by means of a bolt 32 which extends through an aperture 34 in the hub 26 and through suitable apertures in U-shaped portion of the upper end of the support 14.

A nut 36 is threaded on the end of the bolt and washers 38 are disposed on the bolt 32 between the rear surface of the hub 26 and the support 14 to space the carrier from the support. The bolt 32 serves as an axle permitting the rotation ofthe carrier thereabout.

Box-shaped merchandise holders 40 are mounted on the carrier being pivotally secured on stub axles 42 protruding from the carrier 24.

With reference to FIGURE 3 it will be seen that the holders 40 have a container portion 42. The rear wall 44 of the container extends a substantial distance upwardly beyond the container opening the end portion of which is bent back upon itself to form a U-shaped supporting portion 46 with the terminal end. thereof spaced from the rear wall.

Axially aligned apertures 48 and 50 are provided in the forward and rearward Walls of the supporting portion 46.

The stub axles 42 extend through the apertures 4S and 50 and the axles are provided with threaded ends received in threaded recesses 52 disposed in the rim 28. A plurality of recesses 52 are disposed in spaced relation about the rim and along the spokes 30 whereby any desired number of holders may be mounted on the carrier as shown in FIGURE l.

The invention further comprises a perforated portion or panel 60 disposed on the face of the carrier. As best seen in FIGURE 1, the panel is a segment of a circle :corresponding to the diameter of the carrier and having converging side edges 62 and 64 overlapping respective spokes 30. The outer edge of the panel 60 is ush with the outer edge of the rim 28.

It will be seen that the perforations 66 of the panel are equally spaced across the panel permitting selective positioning of merchandise packages 68 thereon. The packages 68 are provided with tabs 70y having openings therein which are spindled on further stub axles 72. The stub axles extend through selected ones of the perforations. The inner end of the axle has an enlarged head 74 abutting the back side of the panel and a nut threaded on the extended end of the axle secures it to the panel.

The panel 60 is secured to the carrier rim by means of spaced screws 76. It will be understood that other panel sections may be mounted on the carrier if desired.

It will be further seen that the panel is provided with openings along its outer edge which are complemental to and in registry with the recesses 52 of the rim whereby the holders 40 may be mounted on the carrier in addition to the panel sections if desired.

It is believed that, from lthe above description, when taken with the drawings, the operation of the device is apparent and that a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

From the foregoing specification, it will become apparent that the invention disclosed will adequately accomplish the functions for which it has been designed and in an economical manner, and that its simplicity, accuracy, and ease of operation are such as to provide a relatively inexpensive device, considering what it will accomplish,

3 and that it will nd an important place in the art to which it appertains when once placed on the market.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Changes in shape, size and arrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim:

1. A display comprising: a support, said support having an upper U-shaped end and a lower L-shaped end whereby when said lower end is fixed to a horizontally disposed surface said support will be retained in a vertical plane perpendicular to said horizontal surface, a carrier disposed alongside said support, rotatable mounting means extending through said upper U-shaped end and mounting said carrier on said support for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis, spaced stub axles selectively mounted on and protruding outwardly from a side of said carrier, merchandise holders pivotally mounted each on one of said stub axles, said holders each being a container with an upper side relatively open compared with the lower side thereof to receive merchandise therein, the center of gravity of each of said holders being below the respective stub axle whereby as said carrier rotates said holders rotate to remain top side up, said container having ends disposed toward and away from said carrier respectively and having sides connecting said ends, and that end of each holder which is opposite from said carrier being free of any upwardly extending portion extending upwardly beyond the sides of the container sufficiently to substantially interfere with manual access to said container or with visibility of merchandise in said container.

2. A display comprising: a support, a carrier disposed alongside said support, rotatable mounting means extending through said upper Ushaped end for mounting said carrier on said support for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis, spaced stub axles selectively mounted on and protruding outwardly from a side of said carrier, merchandise holders pivotally mounted each on one of said stub axles, said holders each being a container with an upper side relatively open compared with the lower side thereof to receive merchandise therein, the center of gravity of each of said holders being below the respective stub axle whereby as said carrier rotates said holders rotate to remain top side up, said stub axles each having an outer end facing away from said carrier, said outer end of each axle being free of any attached encumbrance substantially interfering with access to said container from that end of said container which is opposite said carrier, and each of said holders having an upwardly extending portion that includes an inverted U-shaped upper end having two generally vertical portions that have aligned holes extending horizontally therethrough and receiving a respective stub axle whereby said U-shaped portions economically provide bearing surfaces for upholding said holders with stability.

3. A display comprising: a support, said support having an upper U-shaped end and a lower L-shaped end whereby when said lower end is iixed to a horizontally disposed surface said support will be retained in a vertical plane perpendicular to said horizontal surface, a carrier disposed alongside said support, rotatable mounting means extending through said upper U-shaped end and mounting said carrier on said support for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis, spaced stub axles selectively mounted on and protruding outwardly from a side of said carrier, said stub axles each having an outer end facing away from said carrier, said outer ends each being suiiiciently unencumbered that items each having an opening therethrough can be placed on said stub axle by passing said items over said outer end of a stub axle by reception of the respective outer end through the opening in the respective item and can be readily removed from the stub axle.

4. A display comprising: a support, said support having an upper U-shaped end and a lower L-shaped end whereby when said lower end is fixed to a horizontally disposed surface said support will be retained in a vertical plane perpendicular to said horizontal surface, a carrier disposed alongside said support, rotatable mounting means extending through said upper U-shaped end and mounting said carrier on said support for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis, spaced stub axles selectively mounted on and protruding outwardly from a side of said carrier, said stub axles each having an outer end facing away from said carrier, and the outer end of each stub axle being suticiently unencumbered that objects can be placed on said stub axles by ready reception of said stub axles through openings in said objects and can be readily removed from said stub axles, objects having horizontal openings therethrough, said objects each being rotatably positioned on a stub axle by reception of the respective stub axle in the respective opening, the center of gravity of said objects being below the respective said opening whereby said objects tend to hang bottom end downwardly at all rotational positions of said carrier and to rotate on said stub axle so that printed matter on said objects is always readable.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 887,715 Xander May 12, 1908 1,487,540 Coker Mar. 18, 1924 1,927,283 Hernandez Sept. 19, 1933 2,760,647 Saul Aug. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 317,196 Great Britain Aug. 15, 1929 1,064,523 France Dec. 23, 1953 

